Midtown Phillips News

Phillips Community Update

Week of February 15 - 22, 2012 Sector One - 3rd Precinct – Minneapolis Police Dept.

East Phillips – Midtown Phillips – Phillips West - Ventura Village Neighborhoods

A Few Highlights:

An alert neighbor did the right thing by calling 911 when he saw what appeared to be a burglary in progress. Officers responded and arrested two individuals who were positively identified and found with evidence from the burglary.

Officers patrolling on the Midtown Greenway saw a group dressed in dark clothing running up a hill near 12 AV S. Officers were able to stop and identify three of the group, who were all juveniles. They were cited for violating CURFEW, taken home and released to parents or guardians.

Officers responding to a 911 call about three suspicious men in the area of 25th and 14th Ave So. One suspect ran and was arrested following a brief foot chase. He had an outstanding warrant. A gun he had apparently thrown while running was recovered, as well.

Officers took two chronic offenders - Earley Blevins and Maurice Giles - off the street a few minutes after they assaulted and robbed a man at Chicago and Franklin. Between them, Belvins and Giles have been arrested 200+ times for a variety of offenses including narcotics, weapons, burglary and assault. These two are good candidates for community impact statements.

Soap Opera?

Police in West St. Paul, Minnesota, arrested a man who allegedly stole up to $25,000 in Tide laundry detergent from a supermarket -- stealing bottles by the cartload almost every day for a month.

It's unclear what Patrick Paul Costanzo, 53, planned to do with all of the laundry soap, but it is enough to wash more than 82,500 loads of clothing. Published in the Daily Mail online, a British online newspaper on Feb. 16th and in ClumsyCrooks.com

Building Block Clubs to Build Community

We hope you will join us on March 12th at 6PM at the Center for Changing Lives (aka LSS) on 2400 Park Ave., to meet with your fellow block leaders. Anyone who is active on their block and interested in forming a block club is welcome. This is a great opportunity to network and share contact information and ideas about how to build your block club.

We will also be discussing plans for this year’s Spring Reunion Block Events. Last year we had 15 block club events in May, as a way to kick off spring and mobilize block clubs for the summer. Funding help will be available for Spring Reunion block events.

* We will provide a supper. Come Join Us!

Questions

Contact CPS Don Greeley at 673-3482 or donald.greeley@minneapolismn.gov

Waite House Pancake Breakfast February 25th, 2012

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:37:53 -0800

Greetings Friends and Allies—

I would like to formally invite you to the last Pancake Breakfast in our “old building”. This year, we are raising money for our Teen programming, fondly known at Waite House as “Youth Pathways”, which provides important leadership building, college prep, employment support and skill building for 14-21 year old youth. In particular, the Pancake Breakfast will support our 4^th annual “Build Bridges, not Fences” social justice youth delegation to Lac Courte Oreilles (Band of Ojibwe) in Wisconsin. The trip will focus on community building and indigenous education.

Our lovely teens will once again be cooking and serving. If you can’t come, please don’t hesitate to send us a donation J.

Please call or email with any other questions, but the attached flier should answer most of them.

Thanks,

Julie

PS Let me know if you are vegan or gluten free in advance if possible (we made way too many last time!)

Julie Graves

Youth Program Manager

Pillsbury United Communities:

Waite House Community Center

2529 13th Ave. S.

Minneapolis, MN 55404

(612) 721-1681 (center)

City Council Ward Redistricting & More

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:00:00 -0800

The proposed City Council redistricting creates some major changes for Midtown. The colorful picture below shows the changes. All of Midtown will end up in Ward 6 (Lilligran) and will join all of Phillips West, Ventura Village, Loring Heights, and part of Whittier, East Phillips, and Cedar Riverside. In the picture the red line represents the current district and the yellow/black line the proposed.

Some of the redistricting plan is a result of efforts by the East African community to get their population consolidated into one district.

The proposed Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board districts (and presumably the Minneapolis Public School Board) changes have no significant impact on Midtown. Midtown would remain in District 3 (MPRB - Vreeland, MPS - Samatar). You can see the changes below. The dark red line is current boundaries and the red/black line is the proposed.

Visit the City's Redistricting website for more information.

State-wide redistricting plans were announced yesterday. While there were significant changes to many US Congressional districts, most of Minneapolis will remain in US District 5 with Keith Ellison as the incumbent. Midtown will become State Senate 62 district and House district 62A. Minneapolis is set to lose 2 House seats.

Proposed districts:

Current districts:

The Legislative Redistricting website had some interesting stats:

House District: 62A			Senate District: 62
Population: 39,496			Population: 79,225
White: 14,339			White: 33,943
Hispanic: 9,974			Hispanic: 19,435
African American: 10,957			African American: 18,927
Asian: 1,405			Asian: 2,681
American Indian: 2,187			American Indian: 2,981

Visit the State's redistricing website for more information.

MPNAI Annual Meeting this Tuesday, February 21st, 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:53:40 -0800

MPNAI Residents and Community Partners:

Please join us at the MPNAI Annual Meeting this Tuesday, February 21st from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at Andersen United Community School. Below is a schedule of the evening's events. Hope to see you there!

Jacy Hildreth
MPNAI Secretary

5:30-6:15 p.m. Free Supper

6:15-6:45 p.m. Board Elections

MPNAI president - one year term 2 directors - two year terms each

Program 6:45-7:45 p.m.

We will discuss in small groups the neighborhood's need for a part-time staff person budgeted for in the new CPP program. • NRP Phase 2 • Citizen Participation Program Administration monies

7:45- 8 p.m. Clean up and conversation

MPNAI 2-22-12 Annual Meeting Flyer English.pdf Download this file

MPNAI 2-22-12 Spanish Annual Meeting Flyer.pdf Download this file

MPNAI Audit Raises Serious Concerns

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:49:57 -0800

MPNAI2010-2011Audit.pdf Download this file

Reading through the most recent audit for the Midtown Phillips Neighborhood Association, Inc a number of serious concerns are raised by the auditors. In e-mails conversations with the Board of Directors, they are quickly taking steps to address many of the issues raised and are working with the City of Minneapolis, an independent accountant, and the auditors to work on bringing the Association into compliance. The association isn't ready to make a formal statement but is working to have something prepared for their February Annual Meeting.

The following paragraphs taken from the Auditor's Letter summarize their position about the audit:

There was evidence that the accounting system failed to provide complete and accurate output consistent with the control objectives of reporting contractual obligations. The failure of the control objectives was attributable to misapplication of control activities, and management override of controls by those in authority to the detriment of the overall objectives of the system.

Because we were unable to satisfy ourselves concerning the amount of funds used in accordance with contractual obligations as explained in the preceding paragraph, the scope of our work was not sufficient to enable us to express, and we do not express, an opinion on the financial statements referred to in the first paragraph.

There are 12 areas noted in the Audit that offer room for improvement:

Separation of duties in the accounting function
Authorized Contracts
Reimbursable Expenses
Conflict of Interest Policy
Board Minutes
Fixed Assets
Contract Advances
Compliance Testing
Missing Checks
Prior Year Expenses
Contract Receivable
Unclassified Funds

I have been assured by several board members that they are working to correct these issues, getting advice from the City and other experts. The official responses to the audit aren't public information yet, but MPNAI appears to be doing their due diligence to correct past mistakes and to implement processes to ensure future compliance. One thing that you'll see on the agenda for their annual meeting is the potential of hiring a part-time person to help with these issues. They have also contracted with an independent accountant to help with the bookkeeping.

Weekly Sector Update 2-15

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:48:57 -0800

12 BlLeadMtgFlyer3.12.pdf Download this file

Here is the latest Sector 1 report from CPS Don Greeley. The text is below; to see this as an easy to read document, press the control key and click on this link: 12-SectorUpdate_2.15.12.pdf.

I have also attached a flyer about Don’s March 12 block leader meeting. If you are a block leader, please attend this planning session for spring and summer block events. Food will be provided.

Please share this message with anyone who would be interested.

Thanks for your interest in reducing crime! And please let me know if you have trouble with this message or don’t want to receive this report from me in the future.

Phillips Community Update

East Phillips – Midtown Phillips – Phillips West - Ventura Village Neighborhoods

Week of February 8 - 15, 2012

Sector One - 3rd Precinct – Minneapolis Police Dept.

Some Highlights

ü Officers in uniform and plain clothes continue to patrol the Midtown Greenway in response to recent robberies. The Crime Prevention Specialist is meeting with the Greenway Coalition Crime and Safety Task Force on an ongoing basis to look at safety improvements for the Greenway.

ü Officers responded a burglary in progress on the 1200 block of E 26th St and arrested two burglary suspects. One was leaving the building; the other was still in the property. Both were booked at the Hennepin County Jail.

ü In a different case, officers responded to a suspicious person at Lake and Bloomington. They were able to detain the suspect who was found in possession of stolen property from a recent burglary. He also had a free ride to the jail. Been a bad week for burglars!

Building Block Clubs to Build Community

We hope you will join us on March 12th at 6PM at the Center for Changing Lives (aka LSS) on 2400 Park Av., to meet with your fellow block leaders. Anyone who is active on their block and interested in forming a block club is welcome. This is a great opportunity to network and share contact information and ideas about how to build your block club.

* We will provide a supper. Come Join Us!

Neighborhood Watch in Action

In a small rural area of Kenya, the chief of police is using twitter to alert residents to crimes in progress and other problems. Recently he “tweeted” the residents of a village to the fact that thieves were invading a neighbor’s home. Within minutes, the neighbors surrounded the home and drove the criminals away. Tweets are being broadcast to alert residents about missing children, stolen cattle and other community issues.

You don’t have to go all the way to Africa to have this. If you are a block leader, or interested in becoming a block leader, you can sign up for MPD Action Alerts at: crime.prevention@minneapolismn.gov. Include your name, address and phone.

You may not be able to help find your neighbors cow, but you will know more about crimes occurring on your block.

Questions

Contact CPS Don Greeley at 673-3482 or donald.greeley@minneapolismn.gov

John R. Baumann

Midtown Safety Center

Minneapolis Police Department

2949 Chicago Ave. S

Minneapolis, MN 55407

Free Tax preparation in the Phillips neighborhoods

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:15:03 -0800

flyer_English.pdf Download this file

Get your taxes done fast and free!

Get your taxes prepared for free by an IRS-certified volunteer tax preparer. Hope Community Center is partnering with AccountAbility Minnesota, a nonprofit organization, to offer free tax preparation and financial services. Individuals whose income is $30,000 or less and families with incomes $50,000 or less and self-employed individuals with household incomes of $50,000 or less are eligible.

In addition to free tax prep, AccountAbility Minnesota also offers financial services to help taxpayers make the most of tax time. Financial services provided include savings accounts, prepaid debit cards, free credit reports, benefits screening and one-on-one financial planning.

Free tax preparation is provided at Hope Community Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. January 24 through April 17, 2012. Clinics operate on a first come, first serve basis. For more information and a list of what to bring to have your taxes prepared, visit www.accountabilitymn.org or call 651-287-0187. AccountAbility Minnesota offers free tax preparation at 12 sites across the Twin Cities.

Stacy Opitz

Marketing and Communications Director

651-262-2162

Sector 1 Weekly Update 2-18-12

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:09:42 -0800

Phillips Community Update

East Phillips – Midtown Phillips – Phillips West - Ventura Village Neighborhoods

Week of February 1-8, 2012

Sector One - 3rd Precinct –Minneapolis Police Dept.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

Following a luring incident that occurred at 25th and 11th Ave So. a police advisory was issued on Feb. 8th to alert the public.

Officers have been devoting patrol time to the Midtown Greenway in response to two recent robberies.

The Midtown Greenway Coalition will be holding its first meeting of their Crime and Safety Task Force on Feb. 8th. The task force will be looking at long term improvements to the Greenway to make it safer. The MPD Sector One Crime Prevention Specialist, will be meeting with the task force on a regular basis.

The MPD recently released suspect photos in the air conditioning copper thefts. You may have seen them on the news. We did a crime alert on the thefts last week.

3rd Precinct officers were able to stop and arrest a suspect involved in major drug dealing. They found large quantities of cocaine and heroin. The suspect also had an outstanding felony warrant from California.

BLOCK LEADER MEETING UPCOMING

We are in the process of planning a Sector wide block leader meeting for early March. This will allow block leaders to meet, share information and get to know one another. This is a great opportunity to network with your fellow block leaders.

We will also be discussing plans for Spring Reunion Block Events. Last year we had 15 block club events in May, as a way to kick off spring and mobilize block clubs for summer. We will have more details – date, time and location - in upcoming weekly updates.

A CAUTIONARY TALE:

o On Jan. 25th a vehicle was stolen.

o On Feb. 2nd police arrested four juveniles in the vehicle along with drug paraphernalia.

o On that same day police talked with the victims of the theft who told them that they had left the vehicle running with the keys in it to warm it up.

Questions

Contact CPS Don Greeley at 673-3482 or donald.greeley@minneapolismn.gov

Weekly Sector One Update, 2-1-12

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:09:40 -0800

Phillips Community Update

East Phillips – Midtown Phillips – Phillips West - Ventura Village Neighborhoods

Week of Jan. 25 – Feb. 1, 2012

Sector One - 3^rd Precinct –Mpls. Police Dept.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

o 3^rd Precinct Officers arrested three adults in a vehicle, in the area of 22^nd and Park with a large quantity of crack cocaine and methamphetamine in the vehicle.

In response to the two recent robberies on the Midtown Greenway, officers are devoting time to patrolling the trail between calls. A crime alert was issued on Jan. 17^th. We will be actively working with the Midtown Greenway Coalition Safety Committee as well.

o Metro Transit and Minneapolis Police Officers arrested two men at Chicago and Franklin on weapons violations. They found police batons, a knife and a 9 MM handgun with some ammunition. Both were from the western suburbs.

o Officers have been active in the targeted enforcement area (Cedar to 13^th Ave’s. / 26^th to Lake St.), making arrests for prostitution, narcotics, loitering and curfew.

o Between Jan. 24^th and Jan. 30^th, Third Precinct Officers made 158 suspicious person and 101 suspicious vehicle stops.

o A crime alert was issued concerning a series of copper thefts from air conditioning units. Of the eleven thefts, ten occurred in Sector One.

9^TH WARD BLOCK LEADERS RECOGNIZED

Among those recognized by Council Member Gary Schiff for their contributions to the community were Phillips Area leaders.

Hannah Lieder was recognized as Block Leader of the Year, for her work with Minneapolis Swims. She has spearheaded the project to restore the last remaining public pool in Minneapolis. The pool is at the Phillips Community Center on 24th and 12^th Ave So. To learn more about her efforts go to: http://www.mplsswims.org/

Block Club Leader, Tamara Rasmuson was recognized for her efforts to promote block clubs through the Allina Backyard Initiative. She took a leadership role in an effort to “engage community” in Phillips. The work lead to 15 block club events in the month of May 2011 and a record number of National Night Out events in the four neighborhoods in Phillips.

Sue Hunter-Weir accepted the award for her work with Friends of the (Soldiers and Pioneers) Cemetery. She and others organized a benefit concert, held on Oct. 8^th last year, to fund raise for the ongoing work of restoring the historic cemetery.

Questions

Contact CPS Don Greeley at 673-3482 or donald.greeley@minneapolismn.gov

Sign up now! Residents may attend classes to learn about the Henn Co Sheriff's Office

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:15:53 -0800

Message sent via Nixle | Go to nixle.com | Unsubscribe

Thursday February 9, 2012, 3:04 PM
Hennepin County Sheriff's Office

Community: Sign up now! Residents may attend classes to learn about the Henn Co Sheriff's Office.

Hi Nick,

Would you like to tour the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab? Tour the Jail? Patrol Headquarters? Meet our K-9’s and watch them conduct an apprehension demonstration? Apply today for the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Law Enforcement Academy and you will get an inside look at the Sheriff’s Office.

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek invites you to participate in this hands-on academy. During classes you will learn about the Sheriff’s Office DWI enforcement, responsibilities of the patrol division and narcotics unit, tour the Hennepin County Jail and Courts.

The academy is a must for anyone who just wants to learn how law enforcement and the criminal justice system work. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and will be screened for criminal backgrounds. There is no charge to participate.

Classes are Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and will be held at several different locations in Minneapolis and the suburban area. Transportation is not provided.

The spring session begins April 14, 2012. If you are interested in this program, please submit an application as soon as possible.

Applications: www.hennepinsheriff.org.
Questions: Sergeant Kathy Hughes at kathy.hughes@co.hennepin.mn.us.

For full details, view this message on the web.

Sent by Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, 350 S 5th St, Minneapolis, MN 55415

FEB 15: Criminal Justice Community Partners Meeting

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:27:03 -0800

You are invited to the next Criminal Justice and Community Partners (CJCP) meeting:

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 5:30-6:30 pm

East Phillips Park, E. 24^th St. & 17th Ave. S

We’ll be discussing crime in the new targeted enforcement area that runs from 26^th St. to Lake, between 13^th Ave. and Cedar.

This is a great opportunity to share information with 3^rd Precinct police, Probation, City/County Attorneys and local residents. Please attend!

Please help us spread the word. The meeting details are below and in the attached flyer.

Let me know if you’d like more information. Thank you!

John R. Baumann

Midtown Safety Center

Minneapolis Police Department

2949 Chicago Ave. S

Minneapolis, MN 55407

CRIME REDUCTION IN THE PHILLIPS AREA

Wednesday –Feb. 15, 2012 from 5:30 – 6:30 PM

East Phillips Park at E. 24^th St. & 17^th Ave So.

(Across from Holy Rosary Church)

…………………. AGENDA ………………….

Targeted Enforcement Area: We are moving the targeted enforcement area. The new TE will be bounded by E 26th St. on the north, Lake Street on the South and go from Cedar Ave to 13th Ave So.

Welcome and Introductions

Meeting purpose: Update on progress in focus area of Greater Phillips

Who: Community and Criminal Justice partners: Block Club members and residents, Asst. County Attorney, Asst City Attorney, Hennepin County Probation, Park Police, MPD 3^rd Precinct, Community Resource people.

Targeted Enforcement Area Update.

Updates

CPS, nature of complaints and crime. What has been done to address it?

Problem Properties

Community Response Team Update

Court follow-up, Asst. City Attorney and Asst. County Atty.

Probation follow-up

How can residents and the business community work with the police department to address the issues of concern in the targeted area.

Additional resident input

Next Steps

· Choose next area of focus

· Next Meeting

Questions contact:

CPS Don Greeley at 673-3482 or email to donald.greeley@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

12_CJCPFlyer_2.15.12.doc Download this file

Phillips Community kids go from seed to salad at Open Arms Minnesota

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:19:13 -0800

OpenFarmsFlyer.pdf Download this file

Phillips Community kids go from seed to salad at Open Arms Minnesota

Kids from the Phillips Community are learning in the kitchen at Open Arms Minnesota’s Farm, Food and Nutrition Program.

The program teaches kids how to identify, grow and cook vegetables, making a connection between the farm and the food they eat. It also shows kids how they can positively impact their community by volunteering time and energy. Open Arms Minnesota’s chefs will use all the vegetables planted and harvested to cook delicious, nutritious meals for clients, people who are living with HIV/AIDS, ALS, MS and cancer.

The program meets every month at Open Arms Minnesota from 4:30–6 p.m.

Open Arms Minnesota cooks and delivers free meals specifically tailored to meet the nutrition needs of individuals living with HIV/AIDS, MS, ALS, cancer and more than 42 other diseases.

For more information about the program, contact Ben Penner, Open Farms Director, at ben@openarmsmn.org.

http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MNPARKREC/2012/02/08/file_attachme..." target="_blank">OpenFarmsFlyer.pdf

Ninth Ward E-News - February 6, 2012

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:37:04 -0800

February 6, 2012

Send Gary an email

More city links

Minnesota caucuses will be Tuesday, February 7^th

On Tuesday, February 7, thousands of Minnesotans will be gathered at their precinct caucuses with friends and neighbors.

To find out where your precinct caucus is being held, use the caucus finder.

A caucus is a meeting organized by Minnesota's political parties where citizens can engage each other in a conversation about which candidates to support in the next general election and what public policy positions should be adopted as part of the party's platform. The Minnesota Secretary of State’s office website has information on caucuses, political parties, and on the time and location where caucus meetings are being held. Caucuses are held in locations across Minnesota, are open to the public, and participation is encouraged.

Next Breakfast with Gary: Capital Update

Clockwise: Reps. Allen, Clark, Davnie, Senators Hayden and Torres Ray.

From Vikings stadium taxes to gay marriage, State legislators from south Minneapolis will take questions from residents about the 2012 legislative session at February’s Breakfast with Gary.

The breakfast will be held Friday, February 24th at the Mercado Central, 1515 East Lake Street from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. There is no charge to attend. Breakfast is available for $5.

Join Senator Jeff Hayden (DFL -61), Senator Patricia Torres Ray (DFL -62), Representative Karen Clark (DFL -61A), and Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-62A).

Representative Susan Allen (DFL-61B) was elected January 10^th to replace the seat previously held by Jeff Hayden, who replaced retiring Senator Linda Berglin. Berglin served 38 years at the State Capital.

City cuts emissions by 12.7% in last six years

Since 2006, Minneapolis has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 12.7 percent. Many factors likely impacted emissions, such as mild weather, the economic downturn and energy efficiency programs, but the trend is consistent with the city’s long term goals set out in the Climate Action Plan. In 1993, in conjunction with the City of Saint Paul, Minneapolis became one of the first cities in the nation to adopt a greenhouse gas reduction plan - the Minneapolis - Saint Paul Urban CO₂ Project Plan. The City also completed a greenhouse gas inventory for city operations and the community as a whole in 2009.

Minneapolis residents and businesses have not significantly cut electricity use since 2006, although electricity is now coming from cleaner sources such as natural gas, wind and solar. This has helped cut emissions from electricity use. Minneapolis reduced natural gas use by 17 percent since 2006. Driving miles and emissions from transportation also declined slightly. Both natural gas and driving emissions may have declined in part due to population loss and unemployment. As part of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, Minneapolis is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through specific actions in the areas of land use, transportation, energy efficiency and waste reduction.

“Minneapolis is on the right track, but more work needs to be done. The recession is an opportunity to develop solutions that will be sustainable in the future,” said Council Member Gary Schiff.

Gary Schiff with Hannah Lieder, Ninth Ward Leader of the Year 2012. Click photo for a list of previous award Winners

Ninth Ward Award winners announced

At Breakfast with Gary on January 27th, the Ninth Ward Awards were handed out.

The Leader of the Year award went to Hannah Lieder for her work with Minneapolis Swims, a grassroots lobbying effort to save and renovate the last indoor public pool in Minneapolis. Project of the Year was awarded to Friends of the Cemetery Benefit Concert, led by Sue Hunter Weir and Nancy Benson with performers Jeremy Messersmith and Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles.

The 3400 block of 19^th Avenue South was awarded Block Club of the Year for their efforts to design and install the first pavement mural in Minneapolis. And the Youth Leaders of the Year award went to Ka Joog, a youth group that sponsored a trip to the Dadaab refugee camp and organized a Somali famine benefit event at the Cedar Cultural Center.

Hundreds expected for sustainability conference

On March 23 and 24, over 500 citizen leaders and volunteers from neighborhoods, congregations, schools, businesses, the media, and city environmental commissions will gather for the Twin Cities Sustainable Communities Conference. The conference is being held at the McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Highlights include a sustainable business forum, workshop with local government staff and elected officials, and a neighborhood sustainability conference. Participants will be linked with practical resources to conserve energy, grow food, walk and bike, capture rainwater, support local businesses and meet neighbors.

One goal of the conference is to envision local, regional, state, and federal policies that can move the Twin Cities toward social equity, full employment and energy and climate resilience. At the keynote address, local historians and resource groups will share stories and images to examine the past, present and future of sustainability in the Twin Cities community. For more information contact Sean Gosiewski at (612) 331-1099 or look at the conference website.

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Community Organizers and Interns needed for the MayDay Parade!

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:42:13 -0800

Hello wonderful neighborhood friends,

If you can believe it, MayDay 2012 planning is in full swing! We are in need of filling a few key volunteer positions. See below for position descriptions, and please pass this notice on to anyone who might be interested. Thanks,

Brie Jonna
Marketing Director, In the Heart of the Beast Theatre
bjonna @ hobt.org

612 721-2535

______________________________________________________
MayDay Block Host Organizer: Are you a community organizer? Or active Block Club Leader in your neighborhood? Or do you just LOVE MayDay and this community? We are looking for a volunteer to help us recruit & train teams of people to host blocks during the MayDay Parade. Contact Brie at bjonna @ hobt.org for more info.
_______________________________________________________

MayDay Marketing & Public Relations Internship: Assist with MayDay marketing, public relations, social media, & the assembly and editing of the MayDay Program

MayDay Parade Interns: work with the MayDay Art Staff to help envision, build and assist the community in creating one section of the MayDay Parade

Grant Research and/or Writing Intern: assist the Development Director in identifying foundations and corporations who might welcome a grant application from HOBT. Draft the narrative portions of grant applications with the guidance of our Development Director

Event-Planning Intern - help organize the special events we offer, from donor gatherings to opening night parties, under the guidance of our Development Director

Contact Margery at motto @ hobt.org for more details & application requirements.

Luring Incident - E. 25th St. and 11th Av S.

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:51:54 -0800

On Monday, a 16 year old female was approached in an aggressive manner by a man at E. 25^th St. and 11^th Av. S. The suspect is described as a Somali male, about 6’ tall, light build, short hair, driving a gold, 4-door vehicle. CPS Don Greeley has issued a Police Advisory which includes useful prevention tips. The text is below; to see it as a document click on this link: PoliceAdvisoryLuring_2.7.12.doc.

John R. Baumann

Midtown Safety Center

Minneapolis Police Department

2949 Chicago Ave. S

Minneapolis, MN 55407

POLICE ADVISORY

Luring Incident Feb. 6, 2012

Facts:

On Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, a 16 year old female was approached by an adult male as she was getting off the school bus at the corner of E 25^th St. and 11 Ave So. The suspect asked for the girl’s name and phone number. When she refused to answer his questions, he offered to take her to a local restaurant. As she walked away from him, the suspect got into his vehicle and began to follow her and attempted to block her path with the car. The girl kept on walking and was able to get home safely.

The suspect was described as a Somali male, 30-40 years old; about 6 feet tall, with a light build. He was wearing a blue shirt and jeans. His hair was cut short. The vehicle was described as a gold colored, 4 door vehicle; possibly a 2004 model.

What you can do:

Here are some helpful tips that parents can use when talking to their children about personal safety:

· Call 911 immediately on anyone suspicious.

· Cellphones and Ipods can be distracting. Stay alert to your surroundings—be aware of who is ahead of you and behind you.

· If at all possible, travel in groups or pairs, not alone.

· Be aware of vehicles idling or strangers loitering nearby.

· If you think someone is following you, switch directions and walk to a place where there are other people.

· Be wary of isolated spots when you’re on the street.

IF YOU ARE CONFRONTED BY A POTENTIAL ATTACKER:

· Call attention to yourself by yelling, scream or making other noises to attract attention to the attacker.

· Call 911 and report it immediately.

· Do what you need to do to survive.

· Inform the responding officers if you see something that may have been handled or left behind by the suspect (cigarette butt, pop can, etc.).

If you have any questions, contact Crime Prevention Specialist Don Greeley (612/673-3482 or donald.greeley@minneapolismn.gov)

Police seek public help to identify person of interest in HVAC thefts

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:06:45 -0800

The MPD is looking for help in identifying a suspect in the recent thefts of copper from business air conditioners. Some of these crimes occurred on E. Lake St. Please take a look at the photos below and call Sgt. Mark Gasior, 612-673-5357, if you have information.

Please help spread the word. Let me know if you’d like this in document form for posting. Thank you.

John Baumann

Midtown Safety Center

Minneapolis Police Department

See the full gallery on Posterous

Police Department ú 130 City Hall ú 350 S. 5th St. ú Minneapolis, MN 55415

Media Release

Contact:

Sgt. William Palmer 612-919-9362 william.palmer@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Sgt. Stephen McCarty 612-919-9118 stephen.mccarty@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

TO PROTECT WITH COURAGE / TO SERVE WITH COMPASSION

Police seek public help to identify person of interest in HVAC thefts

February 7, 2012 (MINNEAPOLIS) This morning the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct Property Crimes Unit is seeking the public’s help to identify a man who may be involved in at least 12 thefts from rooftop HVAC units that netted large amounts of copper tubing.

The male pictured was seen on the rooftop of a business near Lake Street East and Chicago Avenue South. He has not been identified.

Anyone who can identify this man or who can provide any information about these thefts that have caused substantial damage to HVAC units worth $20,000 to $40,000 each is asked to call Sergeant Mark Gasior at 612-673-5357.

The PIO contact for this release is Sergeant William Palmer.

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Thefts of Copper from Air Conditioning Units

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:06:26 -0800

Hi. As you may have heard, we have seen an increase in theft of copper from business air conditioning units since mid-November. A crime alert prepared by CPS Don Greeley is below. It’s important for neighbors to report any suspicious activity near closed businesses to 911. It’s also a good idea for businesses to limit public access to rooftops as much as possible.

It may be cost-effective to install a heavy duty cage around the air conditioning unit. The goal here is to make your business unattractive to thieves by increasing the time and effort it would take to get to copper parts. It’s also possible to install an upgrade to the existing alarm system to make it sensitive to changes in the air conditioning unit’s refrigerant pressure, voltage and communication wires.

As always, you can request a business security survey from Don or me.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.

John R. Baumann

Midtown Safety Center

Minneapolis Police Department

2949 Chicago Ave. S

Minneapolis, MN 55407

Crime Alert

Jan. 30, 2012

Thefts of Copper from HVAC Units

Since mid-November of 2011, there have been eleven reported incidents of thefts from businesses.

The suspect(s) damaged and stole copper from air conditioning units. In most cases they accessed the roof of the building to commit the crimes.

Most of the thefts occurred between 10 PM and 6 AM.

Ten occurred in the Ventura Village, Phillips West and Midtown neighborhoods. One occurred on 36^th and Hiawatha.

WE HAVE NO SUSPECT INFORMATION AT THIS TIME.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

· If you see anyone hanging around a business after hours call 911.

· Be alert to people loitering near a business with ladders or other equipment that might allow them access to the roof of a building. Do not hesitate to call 911, especially if it is happening after normal business hours.

· If you see suspicious behavior during regular business hours immediately contact the business and tell them what you’re seeing. They may not be aware that someone is trying to access their roof and air conditioning equipment.

· The Minneapolis Police Dept. can give you a free business security survey that could help prevent future thefts.

If you have questions or would like crime prevention information,

contact: CPS Don Greeley at 673-3482

or donald.greeley@minneapolismn.gov.

Fee Waived for Rental Property Owners Workshop Registrations through February 15 2012

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:10:05 -0800

We are waiving the fee for our remaining RPOWs for owners in selected neighborhoods where we have a disproportionately low number of owners participating in our Action Alert system. If you have not yet attended an MPD-sponsored workshop, please select one of the following workshop dates and register by replying to me with your RSVP:

June 19 (Tuesday) - 5th Precinct, 3101 Nicollet Av.
July 18 (Wednesday) - 5th Precinct, 3101 Nicollet Av.
August 21 (Tuesday) - 3rd Precinct, 3000 Minnehaha Av.
September 20 (Thursday) - 4th Precinct, 1925 Plymouth Av.
October 17 (Wednesday) - 5th Precinct, 3101 Nicollet Av.
November 15 (Thursday) - 3rd Precinct, 3000 Minnehaha Av.
December 12 (Wednesday) - 5th Precinct, 3101 Nicollet Av.

All times are 6pm to 9pm.

February through May workshops are closed to registrations, they are overbooked!

The agenda for all 2012 workshops:

* The ABC's of Rental Property Management

* Criminal Conduct on Licensed Premises

* Legistlative updates and esources available to owners and managers of rental property owners

* Working with the MPD

We will send the workshop presentations and our Rental Property Owners Manual in advance of each workshop to those registered.

Thanks!

Luther Krueger, Crime Prevention Analyst
Minneapolis Police Dept., Property Information Center
350 S. 5th Street, Room 100 City Hall + Minneapolis MN 55415
612-673-5371 + Luther.Krueger@MinneapolisMN.gov
For citywide crime stats and MAPS link to: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/police/statistics/index.htm
For your first contact regarding crime issues in your area link to: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/police/crimeprevention/police_outreach_safe-teams

For crime alerts from the mpd, link to: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/police/crimealert/police_crimealert_signup

The MPD never sleeps.

http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us/

Caucus Tonight

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:06:31 -0800

Caucus Information

For additional information, click on a party name to visit the party website.

Green Party

Wilder Building

3345 Chicago Ave.

Minneapolis 55407

Independence Party

Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Center

3400 15th Ave S

Minneapolis 55407

Republican Party

Stewart Recreation Center

2700 12th Ave S

Minneapolis MN 55407-1119

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

Andersen School

1098 Andersen Lane

Minneapolis MN 55407

Additional Information: Cafeteria

www.minneapolismn.gov/redistricting2012

2012 Redistricting Information

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:15:07 -0800

Hello,

I have been asked to pass along the attached press release and brochure
in order to get information out about the 2012 redistricting process.
Please distribute the information to your business area. There is a
website where you can find out more information about how to be involved
in the process. The address is:

Thank you,

Judy Moses
CPED - Business Finance
105 5th Avenue S, #200
Minneapolis, MN 55401
ph: 612-673-5283
fax: 612-673-5111
judy.moses@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

2012-01-27 Redistricting brochure final.pdf Download this file

2012-01-27 Redistricting release Final.pdf Download this file